Word Origin & History

back O.E. bæc "back, backwards, behind," from P.Gmc. *bakam (cf. O.S., M.Du. bak, O.Fris. bek), with no known connections outside Germanic. The cognates mostly have been ousted in this sense in other modern Gmc. languages by words akin to Modern English ridge (cf. Dan. ryg, Ger. Rücken). Many I.E. languages show signs of once having distinguished the horizontal back of an animal (or a mountain range) from the upright back of a human. In other cases, a modern word for "back" may come from a word related to "spine" (It. schiena, Rus. spina) or "shoulder, shoulder blade" (Sp. espalda, Pol.

Example Sentences for backed up

She was backed up into a corner and he was making noises at her.

Bodies tumbled in front of Fannia, almost tripping him as he backed up.

Biggs returned the fire and backed up the steps to tell the rest.

The others would turn on him like mad coyotes if he backed up.

Dolly said he was "quite wight," and backed up Raikes in every way.

The Wabbly had gone from end to end, backed up, and gone over the rest of it again.

In this instance a dray was backed up to the curbstone, with paper.

It will certainly be desirable that I should be backed up by your presence.